In an intense boys basketball matchup in the desert, the Mountain Pointe Pride secured their 13th victory of the season Thursday in Desert Mountain's final game of the regular season. 

The Pride took advantage of a fatigued Desert Mountain Wolves team in the fourth quarter by capitalizing on rebounds and pushing the court to get easy fast-break layups to lead to a 59-45 win. 

Mountain Pointe point guard Kaden Golhuir scored 14 points, most coming in the second half. In their last matchup, Golhuir caught fire, scoring 48 points in their win against the Wolves. 

Desert Mountain continued to put up a fight throughout the entire game, fighting until the final whistle, but it proved not enough against the height of Mountain Pointe.

Both teams started the game off aggressive with quick ball movement and assertive defense. Mountain Pointe was able to get hot with some 3s, but Desert Mountain was able to keep it a close game.

“We sat in a zone early, but then they started lighting us up,” said Reid Neuhausen, starting point guard for Desert Mountain, when asked about the prior matchup against Mountain Pointe.

The Wolves used their fast-moving offense and shifty guards to spread the ball and help them get some good shots in the first quarter. Their resilient defense is what kept them in the game early. 

Desert Mountain guard Mitch Newman created opportunities for the Wolves on defense, forcing three steals in the quarter to get easy layups. The Wolves agressive style of defense; forcing turnovers and charges early allowed them to get a 13-12 lead at the end of the first quarter.

In the second quarter, Mountain Pointe was able to widen the gap by taking control of the boards and using its height advantage to draw fouls and get to the free-throw line.

The Prides' height allowed them to find open opportunities from the 3-point line, which allowed them to outscore the Wolves 13-7 in the second quarter. 

Mountain Pointe’s ability to spread the court proved to be tough for the Wolves to manage, allowing the Pride to go into halftime with a 25-20 lead. 

“We got to play with our hands up,” said Wolves senior power forward Joshua Allen. “We got to play more under control.”

Going into the second half the narrative didn’t change. Mountain Pointe was able to put some pressure on the Wolves early. The tension did not help Desert Mountain in this matchup, having costly turnovers in the third quarter, which pushed the Prides' lead to 39-28.

Neither team took their foot off the gas until the final whistle. The zone defense of the Wolves continued to hold up well agaisnt the Pride, but the late contested 3s made by Mountain Pointe slowed down any chance Desert Mountain had of getting back into the game. 

“We played a lot of tough teams, but we didn’t protect our home court advantage like we should have this season,” said Desert Mountain coach Mitchell Armour. 

The Pride are going into their final game of the season with a strong grasp on a high playoff seeding in the Open Division. They look to finish the season 14-3 and build more momentum going into the postseason. 

Desert Mountain still sits right in the middle of the pack, holding onto a 5A playoff spot. A win for the Wolves in their final game of the season against Arizona College Prep could provide a big momentum swing heading into the playoffs.